Advantages: Opportunity for additional income, freebies, flexibility Disadvantages: Low rates of pay, often very dull assignments, huge number of agencies to work for
...in undercover. This is where mystery shopping or mystery visiting comes in. Mystery visitors are paid to provide an assessment of service, quality and standards exactly as they experienced them on a given day and time.
Nature of the Work
Mystery shopping covers an enormous breadth of different types of work. Physical mystery shopping involves actually visiting a store, enacting a scenario and then reporting on your findings. Video mystery shopping ... ...a hidden camera. Telephone mystery shopping is exactly what it sounds - you simply contact a business via the telephone and record the details of your contact as per the requirements. Price checking is often carried out undercover as well, and many mystery shoppers will undertake this kind of work to establish the promotions that are on offer in a particular store and its different competitors. Nearly all this kind of work is conducted on a freelance ...
LostWitness 14.03.2004 (10.09.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Lots of perks. Flexible hours. You can choose. Disadvantages: Can be hard work for low pay. Steady income not guaranteed.
I saw mystery Shopping in the cafe, and thought I would like to join in. So I'm wading in right now in the deep end and see what comes out of my mouth! Are you ready to keep a secret?!
1. Where do you work?
All over the place and I love it! This is the best thing about Mystery shopping -it can be anywhere and everywhere. Flexible hours you can choose what you want to do,and best of all-fit it around an existing commitment,scedule job etc.
An extreme ... ...job title?
I'm a Mystery Shopper. Occassionally, I'll say I'm a private detective!
3. What does your job entail?
Working quite hard for often low pay- but the upsides are Getting free perks like food clothing a service or just your weekly shop;and getting pay for sussing out a company. Praising where due and expressing constructive critiscim when they fail.
There are all sorts of questions based around general standards like the staff, cleanliness,overall ...
christina44 10.03.2006 (31.03.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Shop and get paid for it. Disadvantages: Rules, regulations and uncomfortable espionage.
...How do you imagine Mystery Shopping if you've never done it? In my mind, I flounced through the streets of the West End in a fur coat, a little light snow drifting down. Brightly lit shop windows glistened with goodies and I was carrying several sturdy bags (the kind you get from expensive shops) and probably even a hat box. The doorman at Harrods held the door and assistants rushed to greet me, bringing all I could ever want. Everyone fell at my ... ...was even further from the mystery shopping destination and I just didn't feel inclined.
I heard nothing for a while (served me right), then last week on a windswept platform 2, I got the phone call. We'd had a rather drab and penniless Valentines day in a 'at least we've got each other' kind of way. I felt sad that money wasn't permitting us to celebrate something as great as 'being happy together' on a sun drenched mini-break.
Money's certainly ...
Malibu_jenny 20.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: A little money, a lot of fun and some nice freebies Disadvantages: Work can be sparce and it won't make you millions
...here goes.
What is Mystery Shopping?
Let me first explain that I am a mother of two young children and I do mystery shopping assignments between school runs, housework and school holidays. If you think that you can give up your job to earn millions then this is not for you. I know a lot of people who do this work as a supplement to a full time job and others that do it like me because it fits in with my every day life.
You get allocated work from ... ...asked if you are a mystery shopper you should always reply, “what is a mystery shopper” It is imperative that you never reveal yourself unless you are asked to do so.
After the assignment you then enter your results via the MS company website or wait for them to call you or send off paper questionnaire in the post. Some reports can be lengthy and others can be a doddle. It really does depend on the assignment.
What qualifications do I need?
You ...
Flissy 08.01.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Fun and varied assignments, extra income Disadvantages: Sometimes poorly paid, hard work, stressful
...spare time to play with, Mystery Shopping could be the answer for you. It's fun; rewarding, not too time consuming and assignments are varied and interesting. So what exactly is Mystery Shopping? Do you really get paid to shop? It's not as simple as being paid to do your weekly shopping, if only! You're normally asked to complete an assignment at a specified store, or restaurant, or hotel and to act out a scenario whilst posing as a normal customer. ... ...is reveal yourself as a mystery shopper - posing as a normal customer is essential! Some assignments require you to make a purchase to assess customer service and efficiency at the till, some may ask you to return a purchase to evaluate the stores return/refund policy. Be prepared to be flexible! How do Mystery Shopping Companies select their shoppers? Is there an interview process? The selection process differs from company to company (and there ...
Squiggles 09.06.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Earn extra cash Disadvantages: You never know when an assignment will come to you
Grass Roots Mystery Shopping.
I have been a mystery shopper for about two years now and not only is it fun but it's easy money. Your never going to get rich working for grass roots but you will receive a steady flow of assignments which usually pay £10 at a time.
HOW TO JOIN
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If you type mystery shoppimg into your browser, you will find grass roots mystery shopping.
This is free to join and you have to click on the New panellists ... ...my first email with a mystery shopping offer I was very excited and then the day after I get to more offers. When you get an email asking you if you want to accept an assignment you can choose if you want to do it or not. If you want to accept then you can ring up a free phone automated service and register to accept. You will then be sent all the information on the task through the post, along with a questionnaire and scenario.
TYPICAL ASSIGNMENT
...
Sunnysmiles 06.11.2006 (07.09.2009)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Different Experiences, Extra Cash Disadvantages: Many un-reputable dishonest online companies offering mystery Shopping, poor pay
Mystery Shopping, beware as there are many online offers saying you can earn money by joining them. Most only mention there is a fee to pay when you have almost completed the sign-up process. I would like to give you some advice before you get started. Look for the Mystery Shopping companies that list who they are working with, like big well known brand companies; Microsoft, Adidas, Nokia, Audi, Tesco, Sony, VW, HP, Intel, BMW, Asda etc… This way ... ...the big companies who use Mystery Shopping will only work with the most professional well established Mystery Shopping service providers.
The sign-up process takes quite a long time and will require you to give information which you may feel reluctant to; again this is why it is important to only use the big reputable companies. You must give good valid and accurate details or you will not be selected for Mystery Shopping visits. The better Mystery ...
10to4 08.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Work when you like, fun Disadvantages: Low Pay
I have been a Mystery Shopper for 4-5 months now and I enjoy every aspect of it. Its great experience, especially if you want to work within retail or work in retail now as you can pick up a lot of things about customer service, etc.
What is a Mystery Shopper?
A company pays you to go into a shop and makes enquiries and possibly a purchase (like any normal customer) and you then have to report back, mostly by web form or sometimes by telephone ... ...How did I hear about Mystery Shopping?
I was looking for a new retail job and on a job search under the job search category I came across Mystery Shopping. I decided to have a look but there were no job vacancies available so I decided to go to Google and type in Mystery Shopper in the search bar. It came up with lots off different mystery shopping companies whom you can apply to become a mystery shopper with.
Why Did I Apply for Mystery Shopping?
...
kiss_me2070 03.04.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Stimulating, enjoyable, well paid, varied work. Disadvantages: Hard work, need to be well prepared, need to concentrate, sometimes stressful.
...to find out more on mystery shopping. I applied for a few, passed a telephone interview on one and a test run mystery shop on another. Since then, I haven’t looked back really. I work for Retail Maxim, so the experiences I will detail are based on that company, but have a look around to see which company suits you. Some are completely web based, others are solely offline and some combine both, so decide what kind of work you fancy doing. I ... ...to order anything.
Some mystery shopping companies seem to specialise in work in certain geographical areas, so you may find it an advantage to live in a big city and a disadvantage being somewhere more rural. This should be considered when you are considering applying for mystery shopping work too.
Another factor is whether you have access to a car. I don’t drive, but have my husband, best friend and mother-in-law who do and who are usually ...
KarenUK 10.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Can earn good money, get free products, food and drink, and it's fun Disadvantages: It's hard having to go out on a dark winter's evening after a long day at work
...This is by doing mystery shopping.
For those of you who don’t know what I mean, imagine I have a company called “Spankster’s Accessories” with lots and lots of outlets around the UK. I am doing very well out of it; in fact I am now a multi-millionaire, but I care about the service my company gives and its reputation. Therefore I want an unbiased feedback on how a customer perceives my business, so I approach a market research company specialising ... ...out a scenario for the mystery shopper to follow when they visit. This might involve them selecting an item and asking advice from a member of staff on its use and how to care for it, and making some general observations on store and staff presentation. I will then get a report back from the company with mystery shopper feedback on each of the stores I wanted surveyed.
That put very simply is how mystery shopping works. It is a practice that has ...
spankygoodtime 20.01.2003 (28.02.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Payments , some easy assignments , get to keep goods , plenty of sites Disadvantages: Upredictable job offers .
Mystery shopping - ah where to start .
I found late last year that I needed to try and make a little bit of extra dosh . As I was working full-time I didn't want to take on established part-time or temporary work .
So having recently invested in a super computer ( you know like Homer Simpson ) I decided to browse the internet and see what was on offer . Initially I did surveys on Ciao . Within a short time I was reviewing on there and Dooyo and ... ...a review about Grass Roots Mystery Shopping got me browsing , and googling , seeking out mystery shopping . I have joined and worked for a few Mystery Shopping sites and here's what I've found out about mystery shopping .
Lots of companies nowadays like to monitor staff and make sure they are working to their ideals . I know it sounds sneaky but companies want to check if staff are wearing the correct uniforms , dealing with customers correctly ...
grafter123 07.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Pays well. Flexible. Easy. Disadvantages: You need to be VERY organised.
I was first introduced to Mystery Shopping as a result of reading opinions on Ciao and other opinion websites. I’d heard of Mystery Shopping and was always intrigued but never knew quite how to get started. It’s been 6 months now and it’s fair to say I’m earning a healthy little packet… The thing I like most about Mystery Shopping is that you can pick and choose the amount of work that you want to do. On leaving a job and setting up my own company ... ...took priority. I decided Mystery Shopping would be the best solution.
Getting started isn’t difficult, Ciao is the perfect starting point as members such as Karenuk, Squiggles and Trampus have all shared their ideas, experiences and tips on successful Mystery Shopping, their work stands as a pretty comprehensive database of companies to join up with. So why am I writing on a subject already well covered on the site? Personally I’d like to share ...
mizzameII 18.07.2003 (26.08.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Make money, fun Disadvantages: Travelling, can be very detailed reports
I started mystery shopping early this year, for fun really, and to make a little extra money for the next holiday fund. Mystery shopping is all about collecting information on how companies deal with various situations, observing stores, staff and so on. This information is used by head offices to see how well / badly they are performing etc. Information collated gives them a basis to look at future strategies, sales campaigns and identify training ... ...in signing up for a mystery shopping company, check out google which will bring up some good matches.
I have only taken part in four projects so far, but earnt approximately £200. I'm now working on my fifth. It won't exactly make you rich. The assignments have mostly taken only around an hour, but one did take around 10 hours work in total.
All my dealings with the mystery shopping company have been via the internet and email, including registering, ...
Kingseany 23.09.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Make extra dosh easy as pie!!! Disadvantages: Can be time consuming, and boring at times too
...Welcome to the world of Mystery Shopping (aka Secret Shopping). Fairly simple idea, you go out, go shopping, review the service and get PAID! (obviously the best part!!!). But be aware all you millionaire wannabes, this is no Get-Rich-Quick scheme. I prefer to think of it as a way to get a few more bob in my pocket when I’ve got nothing else to do.
Anyway let’s move on. I like to classify the Mystery Shopping service into to types:-
□Physic ... ...(travel, telephone cost).
□Virtual Mystery Shopping - Here you play the part of the e-customer. This time you review online shopping sites. You log on, place and order, and sit back and wait for the order to arrive. Ok it’s not as simple as that. You will usually be required to test their customer service in one way or another. Sometimes you will be required to return the item but fear not, for most assignments you will be paid extra for placing ...
Pabz 25.11.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
Advantages: Flexible, intresting, extra cash, free stuff Disadvantages: Can be irregular, pay is sometimes not great
"Not another Mystery shopping review that is going to telll me how great it is but not give me any info " I can hear you all sigh from hear.
Well the answer is NO, this is not going to be another review that says how great it is and not give you the info you really want. To the sheer horror of some I will give you a brief outline and then actually tell you the companies that carry out the Mystery Shopping and are looking for Mystery Shoppers. This ... ...is there ?
Mystery Shopping / Market research is a great way of earning a bit of extra cash, it can be a bit sporadic and is certainly not going to be a completely regular income, but if you are just wanting to earn a little extra to save for a holiday or something it can be a fun way of earning
Yes it is true, you can be paid to shop, I do it when I'm not writing, although some of the claims of earning huge amounts of money and exotic holidays ...
Supasava 15.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Mystery Shopping
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